Kori Wissmann

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

yeah i have sympathy for her. i would probably do the same if i was a fundie lite talked about on FJ. Well. Maybe not. But I would be tempted.

hope her and her husband manage to escape fundie land and his family.

[onlyorganic]

Andddddd I bet we don't hear from this poster ever again.

[No KoolAid]

I think news about this will get around the fundy world in Nebraska since some of them follow freejinger. So, who wants to place bets? Will Kori and Andrew decide to minimize the fallout and embarrassment of their faux pas by staying put in Florida now that their fiasco was exposed? Or will they come back to Nebraska with tails between their legs and get all obsequious or more fundy themselves to prove to the Wissmanns and their own fundy friends that they didn't really mean anything by it.

[makepeace]

I think news about this will get around the fundy world in Nebraska since some of them follow freejinger. So, who wants to place bets? Will Kori and Andrew decide to minimize the fallout and embarrassment of their faux pas by staying put in Florida now that their fiasco was exposed? Or will they come back to Nebraska with tails between their legs and get all obsequious or more fundy themselves to prove to the Wissmanns and their own fundy friends that they didn't really mean anything by it.

Good point, the inlaws might be offended by the comments, and concerned for their son. From her blog, it seemed like the Florida move was only temporary to begin with, to escape the winter.

[fundyfunland]

Nice sleuthing Lissar!!!! Not that I would've taken anything by someone named "Haterblocker" seriously, but anyway...

I've only been on the Wissman's site a couple of times & didn't get the impression that they were hardcore fundie. Maybe fundielite, so the conversation in question doesn't really surprise me. Is there something about this family that I'm missing? Anything especially that screams "fundie" as opposed to the lite version?

[Constance Vigilance]

Lissar for President?

[No KoolAid]

I've only been on the Wissman's site a couple of times & didn't get the impression that they were hardcore fundie.

I went to church and socialized with the Wissmanns for a number of years, and their site is not reflective of their fundiness. Loren and Gloria Wissmann are longtime hardcore fundies of ATI and Vision Forum persuasion. I wasn't surprised when they had "days of sweet fellowship" with their friends the Duggars at the Duggar home last February.

I think there are two reasons for the "soft impression" their site gives.

First, I think it's a business decision.

They need to show a gospel-singing family that's unique enough to be scheduled to perform and yet vanilla enough to not offend various types of church audiences including those of liberal or non-fundy congregations. Good pay comes from love-offerings, and the donation of goods and services, from non-fundy as well as fundy Christian admirers.

The Wissmanns also market themselves to non-religious venues. So, if an unbeliever saw the Wissmanns sing at Old Threshers and she called her relative in another state because he's the County Fair Manager, then the Wissmanns' site and blogs better not be off putting (just endearing) to the unbelieving booking agent. That holds true for any fans who might buy CDS; businessmen in Branson who book shows; prison wardens in Florida; and community event organizers in various states. You get the point. The family must look wholesome, interesting and worth booking. But not offensive.

Having a soft site is beneficial to the Wissmanns' CD sales; the freewill offerings they will collect in the form of money, goods and services; and, the number and variety of singing engagements they can secure. Their site is part of their marketing tool kit.

Second, way back around 2000 or so, Loren told several of us in his congregation that he was advised by another pastor to be low key about the ATI thing unless you know who you're talking to. Because when people hear "ATI" or "Gothard," a lot of them think you're in a cult. So, live the life and teach the life - just don't say "Gothard/ATI" to people who aren't in it. That may be another reason for the lack of candor about their fundiness on the site and in their blogs linked from the site.

[Edited, there were "two" reasons, not three.]